In a waterproof electrical connector having male and female housings, a seal ring for sealing the male and female housings is generally mounted on the outer surface of the male housing, and the resultant structure is inserted into the female housing.
In such structure, since the seal ring is exposed on the outer surface of the male housing, the seal ring may be susceptible to external influences. For example, the seal ring may be damaged during assembly, thus impairing the waterproof properties. In order to solve this problem, a waterproof connector having a cylindrical outer wall for protecting a seal ring on a male housing is known (Japanese Publication No. 1-51031, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,883, issued on Nov. 11, 1986). In this connector, however, the male housing has a relatively high profile, and the connector is bulky, resulting in inconvenience.
In order to protect the seal ring and provide a compact connector, an assembly obtained by mounting a seal ring on the inner wall surface of a female housing is also known (Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. 55-31201). In this case, unless the male housing is inserted into the female housing with care, the seal ring may be folded, removed, or deformed, thereby greatly impairing the waterproofing effect.